Bayview men battle back in derby clash

A second-half fightback gave East Fife victory in this Irn-Bru Cup derby at Central Park.

The visitors came back strongly after struggling badly in the first period.

Fife manager Darren Young was delighted to get the result, saying: “We did not play well in the first 45 minutes but really stepped things up after the break. We came back well and the longer the game went the better we got.”

Cowdenbeath manager Gary Bollan was most unhappy with the way his team conceded the goals.

“Again we were very poor at defending set-pieces and that is something we have to sort out,” he said.

Cowdenbeath threatened in three minutes when Blair Malcolm went through on to a Kyle Miller pass and Brett Long bravely dived to block the midfielder’s low shot.

Then in seven minutes Brad Smith’s cross was met by Jordyn Sheerin and his header hit Daryl Meggat and flew wide for a corner.

East Fife’s Scott Agnew sent an angled cross into the box in 20 minutes and the ball slipped just wide with Ryan Goodfellow struggling.

On the half hour, Cowden went ahead. Fraser Mullen’s corner was perfect for Sheerin to jump high at the far post and send a powerful header past the ‘keeper.

As Cowdenbeath continued to dominate Pat Scullion’s header from Mullen’s corner was only inches wide.

In 54 minutes East Fife’s Craig Thomson made a brilliant run into the Cowdenbeath box and his shot was blocked on the edge of the home six yard box by Scullion.

In 67 minutes the Methil men levelled when Liam Watt’s corner deceived Goodfellow.

In 75 minutes the visitors went ahead. From another set-piece Anton Dowds headed past Goodfellow as the home weaknesses were exposed again.

Eight minutes later Scullion was red-carded for a raised elbow.

And with three minutes left East Fife struck the killer blow when Kyle Bell flashed a header into the net.